In 2007, worker compensation claims tallied a total of over 80 billion dollars in the United States. Accidents associated with back injuries accounted for one in every five claims and liability associated with damaged eyes totaled over $100 million dollars. There were four million non-fatal workplace injuries in 2007 and over 5000 workplace deaths. Many of these accidents can be attributable to safety violations and non-safe work practices.
Although there are numerous vendors supplying the market with personal protective equipment (hereinafter, “PPE”) such as safety glasses and safety shoes, and although employers require employees to conduct periodic safety meetings, the cost of injury to persons and property in the workplace remains high. Manual monitoring of employees, vendors, and visitors through close circuit camera or direct supervision is both expensive and subjective. The overall reporting of violations can be inaccurate and unverifiable.
There is a need for a system that accurately monitors individuals as they use machinery, tools, and vehicles, to assure that proper safety protocol is followed to avoid injury to themselves and others in the vicinity, as well as avoiding damage to products and production equipment.